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Alex Staniforth

Alex Staniforth

Adversity Adventurer, Motivational Resilience Speaker, Author and Mental Health Activist

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Adapt and Overcome

You are here: Home / Inspiration / Adapt and Overcome

August 3, 2015 by AdversityAdventurer Leave a Comment

I couldn’t climb Mount Everest, this year, or last year, so I will cycle up it. Sort of…

Right now, the Nepal earthquake victims have had to adapt and overcome to something far more devastating than a failed expedition. Naturally I would be compelled to do something, anything, to give them a helping hand.

It’s finally here. After much deliberation, setbacks, illness, and various maladies, this Thursday I will embark on a likely 17/18 hour bike ride to try and conquer Everest, that is, climbing over 29,035ft of vertical ascent over about 130 miles in less than 24 hours. This borderline-neurotic trend in ultra-endurance cycling is known as ‘Everesting’. To achieve it, I’ll make 14 continuous ascents and descents of Great Dun Fell in Cumbria, nr Penrith, to accrue the same height gain as Mt Everest. I’m going to make 14.5 ascents to ensure I get the full ascent- because assuredly my legs won’t permit me to go back for another go, like I do with the actual mountain.

Also, we’ve already raised over £1,800! I want to say a BIG thanks to the local businesses and individuals who’ve all backed me by sponsoring one of my ascents in the challenge, by donating £100 or more to the Himalayan Trust UK- www.justgiving.com/EPIC7

– Interim Performance Management x 2– (Alex Paterson and Steve Platt) providing high quality business experts

Chester Business Club (who I am proud to be a young ambassador for!)

– Vivio, Chester– leading b2b providers of business mobiles and landlines

– Westgrove Group– also a proud young ambassador! Award-winning bespoke cleaning and security solutions firm based in Warrington, Everest 2015 and EPIC7 head sponsor

– Click Consult- multi-award winning search marketing agency delivering online success

– Sharples Group– Also an Everest sponsor, independent provider of office equipment and printers

– Spring Coaching (Chris Spray)– leadership consulting and Discover Me programmes to nourish unique potential

– Veracity Digital- Chester-based production and filmmakers- check this out!

– Xpress Legal Services- major supplier of property related searches for solicitors

– Dan Hallett

– Alison Levine

On the day itself I’m glad to be supported by Ste Rumbelow, my right-hand man when it comes to my challenges and a keen cyclist himself (who also manages my Facebook posts whilst away on my challenges), and my friend Mick Walker, who is also a very keen cyclist whilst being entirely vegan and promoting good health. Mick will be joining me for the summit bid whilst Ste will be managing my updates for me and joining us on the laps too for lots of photo/video footage. Thanks to Chris for lending me a GoPro Hero 4 camera to capture the drama, and James for lending me his Garmin Forerunner so I can run it as a back-up in case mine fails. This will hurt too much for me to possibly risk being deprived without a file to gloat about on Strava… DSC_0317I aim to start approximately 4am at the foot of Great Dun Fell, a high tarmac road up to the radar station at the summit, which fortunately has no traffic hence it’s selection. It does however, take regular batterings of Pennine helm winds, hill fog and driving rain. Each ascent and descent involves about 632m of height gain, twisting hairpin bends, and 9.18 miles.

With enough calorie-intake to warrant guzzling chip fat from a barrel, my nutrition has been planned to the gram and I’ll let you know how this works out afterwards- thanks to my bike sponsors for the Edge Cycleworks in Chester for their help with supplies…

CLdndooW8AAayL0How do I feel? Well, nervous.  Reportedly this has only been managed by ten other British cyclists. But after intense training in the Lake District, that has now brought my resting heart rate to 40bpm- an all time best- I think I’m ready. I believe that this challenge is primarily mental- and my legs will definitely give out well before my mind will. Equally, this is a risk to be managed. Still, I know my limits from my EPIC7 experience where I made a number of 20+ hour endurance days without the fitness I have now. I’m excited to feel the elation of achievement and knowing we’ve made a real difference.

I’m extremely grateful for the generosity of so many. Lots of people have asked me ”Why would you do such a crazy thing?” Well, this video should answer my question…

Until then- see you on the summit…

Alex

 

 

 

Category iconInspiration,  Uncategorized Tag iconalex staniforth,  attempt,  challenge,  cycling,  everest 2015,  everest24,  everesting,  great dun fell,  himalayan trust uk,  nepal,  pennines

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Climbing mountains and the mind.
Charity Founder @mindomountains
🌎 The Lake District #GetOutside
Athlete @inov_8 @ordnancesurvey @ellisbrigham

Alex Staniforth - Adventurer
Back where it all began. Running with my old man! Back where it all began. Running with my old man!

Last March I got my Parkrun PB at Keswick and this weekend got my slowest at Fell Foot.

The plan was to keep my heart rate under 145bpm to avoid another crash of fatigue, which meant walking most of the hills. It took the discipline of Yoda not to set off chasing people like the good old days, especially when my dad overtook me in the first km. 

I hated exercise as a kid. On holiday in France my stepmum bribed me with €2 to run a mile with him. That was a lot of money back then... I hated every minute but dad inspired me to enter a 10km race for charity, and the rest is history. Dad came to watch every race since, as I happily claimed the family record at every distance from 5km to marathon, whilst he retired to become a Parkrun tourist. 

Never thought he'd beat me again, but never forget where you started.
.
#LongCovid #TheComeback #MatchingJackets #parkrun #loveparkrun #fellfootpark
#LakeDistrict #lakedistrictuk #runninginspiration #Fellfoot #windermere #parkruntourist #fatherson
Much-needed adventure inspiration from @mrmarkbeau Much-needed adventure inspiration from @mrmarkbeaumont on his Faster tour at Rheged last weekend. 

Mark is the fastest person to cycle around the world in 80 days (that's 240 miles a day... for perspective) amongst many other records. He's been a huge personal inspiration and kindly endorsed my 2nd book.

So much resonated, but a few favourite takeaways: 

- Trust the process, the bigger picture will always take care of itself. 

- Remove the faff. His team had to ensure he was on the bike by 4am, not 4:05am. That would have added an entire day to his record.

- Mark had 40 people working on his world record. He knew that if he failed, the whole team failed. 

- Good times won't last forever, but that means the bad ones won't either... 

Thanks Mark. Grab his books, talks and films if you're needing some adventure inspiration! 

#faster #worldcycle #ultracycling #markbeaumont #inspiration #80days #mindset #cyclingheroes #rheged #ultracyclist 
@speakersfromtheedge
214/214 Wainwrights complete! Somehow it's taken 214/214 Wainwrights complete! 

Somehow it's taken 12 years, 8 months and 25 days since my first summit, Souther Fell, aged 14 (swipe for evidence). For those who don't know, the Wainwrights are a list of 214 summits created by legendary writer Alfred Wainwright. There was no better hill to finish than the aptly named 'Great Cockup', with a great crowd of friends.

The record is 5 days 12 hrs 14 mins... If only we hadn't stopped for a sandwich 😂 

Meanwhile @thehodfather666 is currently climbing all 214 with a 4 stone hod of house bricks, to raise money for @mindomountains.

However fast you go, there's something strangely addictive about this collection of fells. It's been a fun project to explore the Lakes and maybe one day I'll start again to see how fast I can get around... 

📸@danobeaumont

#GreatCockup #Wainwrights #LakeDistrict #Hillwalking  #GetOutside #Lakes #peakbagging #wainwrightswalks
A big welcome to the first CEO of @mindomountains, A big welcome to the first CEO of @mindomountains, Ian Sansbury! 

When Chris and I founded the charity in 2020 we never imagined how big it would become. From the flagship event with @adventureuncovered to delivering 27 events last year, supporting 300+ people with their mental health, including the NHS, Police and Ambulance Service.

Leadership is about creating a vision, and building a great team to achieve it - like our wonderful trustees, team and 50+ freelance staff who continually go above and beyond. 

It’s also knowing your strengths and weaknesses, when ironically it's compromised my own mental health sometimes too. As the charity grows I'm not the right person to take it where it needs to be, so it can reach everyone who needs our help.

Feeling like a proud parent sending their kids off to start school, with less crying, but I'm super excited to see the charity grow and support even more people with Ian’s expertise. 

I’ll remain heavily involved as a trustee (and Chief Interference Officer) to support the team, tell the story and raise money through daft adventures… 

Thanks to everyone who's been part of the first chapter. Onwards!

#NewChapter #MyBaby  #MentalHealthCharity #MindOverMountains
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